Lt. Gen. Michael H. Shields, center, director Joint

Lt. Gen. Michael H. Shields, center, director Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO), Brig. Gen. Eric L. Sanchez, left, commanding general White Sands Missile Range, and Mr. Stephen M. Squires, right, engineer White Sands Missile Range, get briefed on the test systems during the counter-unmanned aerial system Hard Kill Challenge held at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, February 27-March 31, 2017. The focus of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, JIDO sponsored challenge was technologies that can defeat, or hard kill, unmanned aerial systems. While the United States Army is the lead on counter-UAS efforts, the C-UAS effort hearkens back to JIDO’s mission -- which is to help units adapt and counter improvised threats (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force 1st Lt Chelsi Spence, Defense Threat Reduction Agency Public Affairs/Released).